The food here is fantastic! The pasta is so fresh! Staff was very nice and our server was fantastic! Will be back.

Pros: attentive, fast service. Overall good food. Cons: very small and crowded space. Some food is way too rich. Overall recommend. Upscale restaurant read more

Francesca's Intimo - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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Sine the 4 star thing is pretty much the best summary of this chain's Highland Park location, I'll keep with the vibe. Overall, it was good. Not mind-blowing Italian and absolutely a well run place. Decent staff, nice outdoor patio and rather good pasta but a tad overpriced. My melanzane rigatoni was over salted (why is it that people outside of Italy and the Med don't know how to properly salt and prepare eggplant?) The appetizers were solid and my wife's Piedmontese pasta dish was quite tasty. All in all a solid 4. read more

There are many Francesca's in the Chicagoland area but for us, Francesca's Intimo, in Lake Forest is at the top of the list. It is small, but it has a nice evening dining out vibe, and overall , it fits a special night out dining. My wife and I have been here many times over the past years and we decided to celebrate our anniversary there last night (Saturday night which is the busiest and noisiest night of the week.) We were seated quickly upon arriving for our 7:00 reservation at a table on the upper level which is where we usually sit. Our waiter, Chris a tall very nice looking and busy young man, took our drinks order. Drinks were brought by a runner, which seems to be the service: waiter takes the order and someone else brings the order. We split the Old School sausage and peppers as our appetizer. which was terrific, and for our main course, the spaghetti bolognese which we also split. This was a great version of a sauce that is steeped in Italian culinary history. My wife and I finished the entire plate we were both very pleased with it. Yum!! With the pasta, recommended by one of the managers, I had a very nice glass of an Italian red wine blend. We finished our delightful anniversary meal with the Lemon Olive Oil cake. Again, yum. A big plus for the restaurant are the very nice and accommodating managers that are constantly in motion looking to be of help anywhere that is needed. Our waiter Chris was also quite nice but very busy. You can nit pick any restaurant but with all the important stuff being so good, I will not do this. In this current world of dining out, you see that prices for both the food and wine have gone up and to my mind if you are paying a premium price to dine, the restaurant should be on point. Last night Francesca's Intimo was just that. On Point. We will return in the summer to enjoy dining al fresco in their beautiful outside area but during the week when it is less hectic. Francesca's Intimo, thank you so much for a lovely anniversary dinner and evening. read more

Great service and food always consistent quality when I go back. Ambiance a plus as well

Could've been better if the Wine list pricing matched what we were charged. When we questioned this, our Server asked the Manager to adjust and we were told that the wine menu pricing did not necessarily reflect current pricing. No adjustment was made for either of the two bottles of wine we enjoyed. Could've been a much better experience if all guest meals arrived at the same time. The Filet Mignon we ordered medium rare arrived after all other meals had been served and was undercooked; the outside of the beef was browned, the inside was raw. The server was embarrassed and told the guest to keep his sides and she would try again. The same Filet was returned to the guest 5 minutes later in the very same condition. She suggested he order another meal. We will not choose to eat at this restaurant again. read more

Great ambiance. Middle of the road food with some highlights. The outdoor seating is so charming at night and the inside is the right amount of classy (and that ceiling!) The food ranges from poor to above average with the mean down the middle. The bread and oil at the beginning, not great. The meatballs, okay. The fresh pasta, good. read more

Loved it here! Took my daughter for a nice meal and wasn't disappointed. Friendly staff, cozy small restaurant, excellent service and the food was delicious! Had such a neighborhood vibe - lots of locals came in. Considering the location, the price is very reasonable. Can't wait to go back! read more

Popped in after the lake forest days parade. I've been to Francesca's for 10 years and for sure it has got better with time. The staff are great! Since Covid I've noticed that customer service has gone down bit here it is fantastic! read more

This is a great Italian restaurant with good food and decent service. The outstanding things were the hot fresh bread with oil and grated cheese to start the process and the ice cream and other deserts at the end of the meal. The cappuccino was excellent and the wait staff kept our drinks full and the table clean between courses. An excellent way to spend an evening with friends and family. FYI, we had the half chicken meal and a pasta dish for our main courses as well! read more

Food is amazing, flavorful, authentic, and very generous. The service is great. Ambiance is cozy and chatty if you don't mind it. We actually went here for Christmas and it was full but we enjoyed the food. It's worth the price! I would consider this for a date and you can wear a nice outfit. This is a sophisticated venue! read more

Took my wife and parents out for dinner here. Our server, I'm so sorry I forgot her name, was outstanding. She had a bubbly personality and a great sense of humor. We outside on a cool night and it was still comfortable. The food was very good and affordable too. I had the vodka sauce pasta and it was delicious- pro tip: it is WAY better reheated the next day and I have no idea why. Also had the bruschetta for an appetizer. Can't speak on the other dishes but we pretty much got everything and everyone enjoyed. Can't say much else but we'll be back again. Thanks! read more

A well known little "pseudo" Italian restaurant with a few locations in the Chicago area, that actually had really good food and fabulous service...well it did so a long time ago. Both the food and service have become some convoluted cartoonish version of what a restaurant should be. When I ordered a takeout burger, this is what I expected to get, "a burger". Instead, I was given some sort of preformed old frozen piece of ground something that looks to be the right shape and size of a burger. I assume the wilted weeds covering it were the salad. After having to use a meat cleaver and a blow torch to cut it, I tried a bite of the mystery meat and almost gagged due to the foul stench and rancid flavor. There was another container with my order, which was supposed to contain fresh cheese, asparagus and pancetta. It actually contained some greenish yellowish hard sticks and some hard brown plastic like crumbs surrounded by this white crusty on the outside ball. I poked it with my fork only to discover that the inside was a gooey, cold, runny mess of Elmer's glue! Needless to say, this all went uneaten and a lesson learned: "just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it's good". The restaurant staff I won't even go into here it just isn't worth the time and effort to review. read more

Great Service on a cold Saturday! They even checked our coats! Waitress was friendly and helped us with the menu. Love the Rolled Pasta and Calamari App! read more

I love the food here. Best Italian cuisine on the North shore. Great for casual dining or celebrations.

Friendly service, tasty and excellent food. We came on a night of when there was severe weather in Chicagoland. It was great to spend the time waiting for tornadoes to pass at this restaurant enjoying the company, and the food and drink! read more

Good food. Good service and very nice place to eat with the family and I always like their wine

Great service and delicious food! Found this gem while in town for business and will definitely be back! read more

Francesca's Intimo - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

First off, they were lifesavers, coming up at the last minute with room for 4, was no small feat, but they came through. Excellent atmosphere, friendly service all around. food was good portions, although I wished for a little more diverse menu ( sometimes you just want the basics). The main courses they had tasted good and overall the price was reasonable in the $20's-$30's for each. Overall, the night was a win and we'll be back! read more

Lots of people seem to love this place, but I was underwhelmed. Came with my colleagues for a team dinner, and felt the whole meal as underwhelming. Despite being pretty empty, service was slow and sporadic, orders were incorrect, I had to ask for a water refill (as did many others), and food quality was sub-par. My meal lacked proper seasoning and balance, and though it was described as house made, I felt I was served overcooked boxed pasta. Glad I had good company. One bonus star for a good table location and the hostess being willing to take a team photo. read more

Had dinner here on a Friday night with my husband and boys. The staff was so friendly and answered all of our menu questions. We absolutely loved all of our entrees, appetizer and adult drinks! My husband ordered the Fettuccine Della Nonna and he devoured it! I ordered the Frutti di Mare Pazza with the linguine. It was the perfect balance of pasta, seafood and sauce. The service was amazing too! read more

Francesca's Intimo has a bit of a special place in my heart. We have eaten/taken out from here several times. Many years ago, the first time we dined here, we were with a friend who has since passed away. It was one of our last times out with him. We had a lovely meal, lively discussion and great service. Then, my friends held a bridal shower for my daughter here. It was awesome. We had the whole place on a Sunday afternoon. Again, great service and lots of fantastic drinks. Though the place is small (as the name suggests) they were able to move a bunch of tables together to create one large center table that everyone was able to fit around. During the height of the pandemic, we did carry out from here many times. The food always hit the spot. I highly recommend the spaghetti and meatballs! Finally, our most recent experience here was to take a group of people here after the bridal shower for my future daughter in law. There were eight of us including one vegan. We were able to get something to fit our individual taste buds and dietary needs! And, as always, great service! read more

Our food was fine. Just fine. But it was a Tuesday evening. Our party of 4 adults in our 50s-60s had a reservation for 6 pm, and we left by 7:25. The restaurant closes at 9:30, and it was less than half full the entire time we were there. Our service was so rude. Our server was very frustrated that we didn't order in the first 5 minutes we were there, and after that, she rushed us through every part of the meal. There was no checking on the food after it was served. She actually gave us a dessert menu about 1 minute after we were served our entrees. She and the busboy were hovering to take away our plates at each course. My husband ate his entree fast, and his plate was removed while the rest of us were not even halfway done. One of the managers actually stopped at our table to inquire if we had coffee and dessert on the way, but we hadn't yet ordered it, because our server hadn't been back to the table yet from us finishing dinner. He seemed surprised. She appeared immediately. My friend actually had to ask for a second glass of wine- no second drinks were suggested. She dropped off our check the minute we got dessert, we split the check, and she came back to collect our signed receipts while we were sitting there. Again, from start to finish, we were there less than 90 minutes, and when we got up (since we got the hint, when she took our checks back), we could see that there were probably 6-7 other tables with guests still there, and plenty of space, not that there was a single party waiting to eat. We spent $250 before tip on our party of 4. We weren't lingering at all, other than taking 10 minutes at the beginning before we ordered. This was a special dinner for our party, and the staff ruined it. I called the restaurant to complain on our way home, to find out if there was some reason we weren't aware of why we were pushed out, but no other table seemed to be, and I was put on hold, but then hung up on. We will not be returning. read more

One of my favorites for dinner or parties with friends. The entire staff makes you feel that you are at a special place and the food is always exceptional! read more

Great atmosphere. Good solid Italian dishes. Great date night place. Not a recommended for anniversary or special occasion. Just a little too casual. read more

A Lake Forest standard, as it has been here forever. Always enjoy eating here, yummy food, great staff.

Francesca's is a local chain and has numerous restaurants in downtown Chicago and is a staple for the Lake Forest area. I even lived near the Wrigleyville location, but I never went. My mistake as Francesca's Intimo was excellent! I came here with my parents to celebrate my Dad's birthday and it's one of their favorite spots. We had a reservation for the outdoor patio on a Saturday night, but it ended up raining so we were moved inside. The place was packed, but tables were spread out and everyone standing up and walking around were wearing masks so I felt pretty comfortable dining in. We ordered the Burrata, which was amazing as it was very fresh, but I was surprised that the burrata did not come with any bread. My Linguine Alla Genovese was very good as well! There were hearty chunks of shrimp, the vegetables were fresh, the sauce was mild, and it was a good portion size. Our server Luis was excellent! Our drinks were never empty and he gave us some good food suggestions. Prices weren't overly expensive, but expect to pay $15-25 an entree. Overall, Francesca's is a great Italian restaurant! read more

Francesca's Intimo - Linguine Alla Genovese - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Review for food ordered and picked up: Over-priced food for stingy portion (4 shrimps for the Gamberj, watered down by cooked spinach). The bread that came with the Gamberj was hard as if it was left over by previous diners. Caesar salad portion is also small, but dressing is decent. Tiramisu portion was decent and tasted delicious. read more

Great place, staple of LF and LB. Service is always excellent. I would say the service here is stand out. if you need to eat and get to a show or event you will be served a great meal in a very timely way. Food is always good to excellent. It's a little pricey for Italian but it's worth it because it's higher end Italian and always fresh. read more

My favorite place to come grab lunch with my mom, she's 90 and can't really walk the best they always save us a table close to the front so she has an easier time. Everyone goes above and beyond to make us feel right at home . All the servers know her by name and always make it a point to come say hello. read more

Been here twice already, and both experiences have been incredible. This is the type of Italian restaurant I think of as a mental framework. Seems very cozy, intimate and can be family friendly. Always at 75% occupancy throughout the week, with a consistent influx of people. Loved sitting at the booths and being comfortably served. The wine they serve on top of the dishes is wondrous. At my last visit, I had salmon with asparagus. This was very healthy and left my stomach content with how much I ate, leaving some room for the wine. In all of my visits, there was always lots of flavor with everything which gives Italian food - especially the pasta a great rep! read more

Francesca's Intimo - Salmon & Asparagus - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Nice place very small staff very friendly. Food was good. Menu was not large but the all the choices sounded good. read more

Lovely interior and exterior, overall intimate and beautiful restaurant! My friend and I came for lunch, and our waiter was very friendly and nice. Food tasted great as well, but unfortunately pretty expensive. Overall had a good experience. read more

Francesca's Intimo - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

"Intimo" is apt; it's a pretty small restaurant, the smallest of the various Francesca's in which I've been. While the restaurant is large enough that you don't feel like you're sitting in the lap of other patrons, it also is significantly louder because it's such a small restaurant. Also related to the size and layout of the restaurant, when the door opened, there were some gusts of chill air that blew in from time to time (because people didn't wait before opening the second door into the restaurant, letting the cold air in). There appears to be a parking lot basically across the street, as there are a variety of shops a block away (so it's a city lot). I don't know if there is a charge for the lot. There are also several parking spots just in front of the restaurant, though I think there are some parking restrictions from 6 am - 6 pm. The service was a little disappointing. We asked for a few more minutes when our server came to take our order... but then he didn't come back to take our order for 25-30 minutes. In that time he didn't come to refill our drinks, either. The host finally did, because I think she saw me start to take a drink before I realized my glass was empty. Lake Forest isn't just down the street so I don't expect to come back again for that reason alone. But given the lackluster service, I'll stick to one of the other locations when I'm in the mood for Francesca's. read more

We visited Francesca's Intimo on the spur of the moment prior to attending a show at the Citadel Theatre. First I was glad to find them on OpenTable because it made the reservation process easier. The hostess and waitstaff were impeccable. There were good selections to choose from on both the regular and specials menu. Our meals were served quickly and piping hot. Everything was tasty if a bit bland in appearance. In fairness, I am not sure how they could improve the plating of Italian food to make it "pop". The thing during our visit that really knocked down my rating was the very poor acoustics in their main dining room. Conversation even with a raised voice was one notch above impossible. We would have enjoyed our meals much more if the atmosphere was a bit less noisy and frenzied. We chose to share a coconut cake dessert which was quite impressive and beautiful. It was certainly the highlight of our meal. The coffee served with dessert was delightful also. read more

First time here and I was totally impressed! If I lived anywhere close, this would be a regular date nite w my wife!! I had rigatoni w sausage which tastes good but the sauce was too thick - maybe attributable to the late time of the evening. My friend has the veal w mushroom sauce - way better!! The mushrooms were perfect and the sauce was savory and complimented the chef cooked veal perfectly! The only chianti they have by the glass measures up to some of the best out there! Although Peggy was not our server, she caught my eye as someone who knows exactly how to make the customer feel welcome. Definitely thumbs up! All in all a great first time experience! I live in Cali but when and if I ever come back - this is a must first stop! Thanks read more

Francesca's Intimo - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

I don't have anything bad to say about this place. Is it small? Sure it is. Is parking the greatest? No it's not. The service and the food were absolutely amazing! I'm here for work and decided to give this restaurant a try and I wasn't disappointed whatsoever. The menu has a little bit for everyone and I must say... the calamari was delicious. I'm willing to bet 98% of the time you visit Francesca's Intimo you won't leave unhappy. Great spot! read more

Francesca's Intimo - Coda Di Rospo Con Ganberi E Fagiolini Hard to pronounce but it translates to deliciousness! - Italian Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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Delicious! Some of the finest Italian food in the North Suburbs. We started off with the sautéed calamari. This appetizer is made upon request. Fantastic. As for entrees we ordered the grilled salmon and the Rigatoni del Pastore. Both were excellent!Francesca's creamy tomato sauce is awesome Couldn't imagine spending fathers day anywhere else Buon Appetite! read more

Wow! The food here is amazing! They make everything in house, you could tell. This restaurant is on the smaller side but I think that's how they keep it authentic and artisan. It's all about the quality here, they don't even care to turn the tables out quickly. People come here to enjoy and take their time eating and commiserate with friends and family. I came here the first night we landed, we were here for my sons graduation from the Navy, boot camp. It was amazing food! I made it a point to come back before we took off for home. So we came back with our son the day we left. It was still soooo good! And they gave us a 20% off the bill for my son for being in the Navy, we didn't even ask for it! Thanks!! We ordered: Bruschetta alla Romana-$8.95, nice starter, the fresh tomatoes with the lemon juice and the olive oil with herbs had such a perfect balance. The mozzarella was so smooth, tastes like burrata, yum. Polenta with Wild Mushrooms-$9.99, another great shareable starter. The polenta is so smooth and perfectly creamy. The wild mushrooms lend such a meaty, savory flavor especially the sauce. So simple but wonderfully satisfying. Carpaccio con Sedano-$13.75 OMG! This is the freshest most delicate dish. I rolled up the mini herb salad that it's topped with in the carpaccio, thinly sliced sirloin, so thin that it had only one side, lol! My gosh...this was superb! A must! Calamari Fritti-$14.75, it's deep fried calamari but it is so light and divinely crispy and crunchy! The marinara dipping sauce is incredible, I think this is the sauce they use for all the pastas with red sauce (mother sauce). That's why everything tastes so good. We ordered this again the second trip. Rigatoni with Italian sausage-$16.99, this was done to perfection! So comforting, everything in this dish played such an important role, from the al dente rigatoni pasta, to the beautiful pop of the peas, the spicy Italian sausage lending the spice and the salt, finally the wonderful creamy marinara kicked up with vodka. This was so good, we ordered it again, honestly, I could eat this everyday! Gnocchi in Marinara and Basil-$14.99, pillow soft with a bit of bounce, so tasty! This is tossed in the marinara with fresh basil, no meat but I didn't miss it! Great mouth feel, large portions to share. Puttanesca-$14.99, so light and refreshing! You can taste everything, the bursting grape tomatoes, to the salty, savory of the anchovies, and the freshness of the spinach. Great, just great! I highly recommend this restaurant, the food here is all hand made with such care and flavor. Simplicity at it's best! The look and feel of this restaurant is so traditional, cleanand well kept. Perfect ambiance with soft lights with a cozy atmosphere. read more

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I'm the Dutchess here and I haven't written a review yet? Impossible! I don't even bother "checking in" anymore I've been coming here for so long.... Okay. Looked at my reviews and it's possible. Probably because Francesca's is such a restaurant staple for us that it never dawned on me. And so, I profusely apologize Mia Francesca Intimo. You have treated me so well over the years and I have taken you for granted. Forgive me. Okay. Enough drama! When we first moved here, people kept asking us, have you been to Francesca's yet? It was like a never ending echo. Francesca's Francesca's Francesca's. (Marsha Marsha Marsha!!!) Well, we finally went and about hit ourselves over the head that we hadn't gotten there before. Think of Francesca's as a good friend. It's the place that the neighborhood goes to for warm atmosphere, lively conversation, comforting food that fills your tummy and soul. They consistently serve delicious food. I think over the past years they've maybe served one dish to me that was just too salty. And that's it! I've eaten almost everything they offer on the menu. The linguini mare remains my all-time favorite pasta dish -- slightly zesty tomato basil sauce, hearty linguini noodles, huge shrimp. Depending on the menu for the evening they may throw in asparagus or spinach. The pasta portions are ridiculously huge. Like crazy huge. Always have leftovers to take home. The fish dishes I return to the most are the ones with tilapia -- usually with spinach. (yep. I like my vegetables and spinach rocks the top of the list.) The appetizers are straight forward. We often skip them to leave room for dessert. (Have I mentioned the huge pasta portions -- it's hard to do pasta and an app and dessert. A lady has to choose!) We about die over the coconut cake. If you like coconut, get it! And if you don't see it on the specials menu or dessert menu, just ask. You never know! We even get take-out from this place if we're stuck home without a sitter. Lots of families here with junior high and high schoolers earlier in the evening. Not exactly the place for preschoolers -- pasta thrown on top of the woman seated next to us, red wine splashed on the older gentleman trying to have a lovely dinner with his wife, bread pieces chucked across the room at texting teenagers. It's too much to bare just thinking about it!!! But I digress. The decor is welcoming and inviting. Dark woods, a flowing wave-like ceiling gives a sense of calmness and movement all at the same time. Tight seating that seems to fit the place and doesn't make one feel scrunched in. Exceptionally friendly waiters. Picked up take-out this weekend and one of them saw me and said hello. Asked when I was going to get said phantom sitter so I could come in for a proper date night again. The bar area is pathetic, that I will say. A five seater at best right by the door. But most people don't just walk-in so it's not really meant to be a true bar. You can walk-in for lunch but dinner generally needs a reservation so be sure to call beforehand to see if they can squeeze you in. You may just see me there! read more

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